The present disclosure relates to a 3D modeling apparatus which forms a 3D object using a material that is cured by illumination of an energy ray such as light, a 3D modeling method, and a modeled object formed by the same.
A modeling apparatus which forms a 3D object is known as a rapid prototyping apparatus and is widely used for work use. In general, a 3D modeling apparatus forms a modeled object layer by layer on the basis of model data of each predetermined thickness of an object to be modeled, that is, model data of each layer.
As one of main methods of the 3D modeling apparatus, for example, an optical modeling method using light as an energy ray is a method of partially and selectively illuminating a photocurable resin with laser light to cure and draw a desired portion of the resin, thereby forming a modeled object.
From among the optical modeling methods, for example, there are a free liquid surface method and a restriction liquid surface method. In the free liquid surface method, the liquid surface of a photocurable resin in a liquid state is exposed in the air and drawing is made by focusing laser light on the interface between the air and the liquid surface. In the restriction liquid surface method, the liquid surface of a photocurable resin in a liquid state is restricted by glass or the like, and drawing is made by focusing light on (the interface between the glass and) the photocurable resin through the glass.
Besides, as an apparatus that forms a modeled object which is colored, there is a 3D modeling apparatus described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-280356. The 3D modeling apparatus includes an ink jet head that discharges a thermoplastic resin. The ink jet head discharges small droplets of the thermoplastic resin layer by layer according to model data of the cross-section of an object to be modeled. As the discharged thermoplastic resin dissipates heat, cools, and hardens, a modeled object is formed. A colored thermoplastic resin is discharged from discharge nozzles for coloring which are provided in the ink jet head, and a white thermoplastic resin is discharged from discharge nozzles for modeling which are provided in the ink jet head. The thermoplastic resins discharged from the discharge nozzles for coloring and the discharge nozzles for modeling are all used as a material constituting the modeled object, and have a difference in coloring (white is for the base) (for example, refer to paragraphs [0030] to [0033], [0053], and [0061] of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-280356).